Today's a new day.

[elephantnose3334]

I'm a curious soul who wants to know more about a certain subject. Stuff happens and I do not like travelling all alone.

they are in some parts of the world. We're not allowed to bring them into our country.

Well if they don't impress you then perhaps my Lepidogalaxias salamandroides will. There are only 8 in captivity throughout the world, and I have them. Come on I have to get points for that And it's a prehistoric fish that's been around for millions of years. And they aestivate underground during summer because there is no water. An ancient fish with a neck that lives without water for 6 months of the year, that's a pretty special fish.

I know that this post of yours is from 2008, but wanted to quote it because it's my favourite message on the forum about it. Were there really 8 salamanderfish in captivity in the world?

 

[Colin_T]

At the time I wrote that there were only 8 fish being kept in captivity to my knowledge. I was in ANGFA and had contacts in the pet industry and nobody else had them.

There's nothing in the post that needs quoting elsewhere. If you want to mention something in your letter to the government, go on about the environment and how we need to protect that and replant the country (and the planet) to reduce the carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, and to encourage more rainfall. If we can get more rainfall around the southern half of WA, the salamanderfish has a much better chance of surviving. Then it's a matter of state governments not bulldozing the habitat to widen country roads. If they are going to widen country roads, they need to make sure they don't cover any natural waterways and kill the inhabitants in them.

You could mention the fact there was a peat fire in the Karri Forests down south around Walpole in Western Australia a few years ago (this is where the salamanderfish lives), and the peat fire was burning for more than 6 months and has destroyed thousands of acres of land. Things like that need to stop immediately because it is releasing huge amounts of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, and destroying vast areas of natural wilderness, much of which is home to rare and endangered birds, reptiles, insects, fish, animals and plants.

 

[elephantnose3334]

At the time I wrote that there were only 8 fish being kept in captivity to my knowledge. I was in ANGFA and had contacts in the pet industry and nobody else had them.

There's nothing in the post that needs quoting elsewhere. If you want to mention something in your letter to the government, go on about the environment and how we need to protect that and replant the country (and the planet) to reduce the carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, and to encourage more rainfall. If we can get more rainfall around the southern half of WA, the salamanderfish has a much better chance of surviving. Then it's a matter of state governments not bulldozing the habitat to widen country roads. If they are going to widen country roads, they need to make sure they don't cover any natural waterways and kill the inhabitants in them.

You could mention the fact there was a peat fire in the Karri Forests down south around Walpole in Western Australia a few years ago (this is where the salamanderfish lives), and the peat fire was burning for more than 6 months and has destroyed thousands of acres of land. Things like that need to stop immediately because it is releasing huge amounts of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, and destroying vast areas of natural wilderness, much of which is home to rare and endangered birds, reptiles, insects, fish, animals and plants.

Good point. Will add that to the letter. It will be a long one indeed. How many salamanderfish are in captivity now compared to 2008?

 

[elephantnose3334]

I understand that my passion of saving wetlands may have to endure. One day, I want to protect wetlands from questionable government wildlife department laws. What is the best way to save our wetlands from Perth and down south?

 

[elephantnose3334]

Checking out the western minnow. They're pretty, aren't they? I love fish that are native to my country.

Gardening. I don't talk to this subject very much, but I want to do a wildlife garden one day once I own a property. I do need some tips from a good gardener on how to attract birds, wildlife and native fish. Does anyone have/had a wildlife garden?

 

[Colin_T]

Good point. Will add that to the letter. It will be a long one indeed. How many salamanderfish are in captivity now compared to 2008?

Most informative letters are usually long. They need to be so you can explain the facts and how/ why we need to do things.

Another thing you can do with your letter is change the tiger to koala or numbat. That way you are talking about Australian animals to the Australian Prime Minister. As far as most Australians are concerned, tigers are in another part of the world and they can deal with them over there. But koalas and numbats are here in our own backyard and after the 2019/2020 bushfires that killed so many koalas, they are definitely in need of help. Plus everyone knows what a koala looks like, oh they are cute, except the males during breeding season, they aren't cute.

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What is the best way to save our wetlands from Perth and down south?

Get rid of humans. The only way we can save wetlands around Perth and the south-west is to make natural corridors of untouched bushland and let the animals have it. My idea was to buy up the land running along side the rivers and rehabilitate it so the birds and animals have access to water and native plants for food. But getting the government to buy up land just to rehabilitate for the birds and animals is probably not going to happen.

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To do a native garden all you need is lots of plants and no chemicals. I had all sorts of plants at my old house including fruit trees and fruiting plants, roses, hippeastrums and various natives like banksias, wattles, kangaroo paws and a few other bits n pieces. I didn't use any chemicals to control insects or weeds, however I did use chemical fertilsiers. The fertilisers encouraged plant growth and didn't affect earthworms, insects or birds.

At one stage I had about 4 or 5 species of native bee living in the backyard, numerous honey eaters that came by each day for food, willy wagtails, magpies and even crows. We also had 28 parrots coming in and destroying the pecans and pomegranates. And one of dogs used to steal the red strawberries before we could pick them.

The main thing about native gardens is minimising chemicals and maximising the variety of plants so you have flowers all year round. They don't necessarily have to be native flowers, although they are preferred. You can definitely mix them up and have native and non-native plants and still get lots of wildlife.

 

[elephantnose3334]

Most informative letters are usually long. They need to be so you can explain the facts and how/ why we need to do things.

Another thing you can do with your letter is change the tiger to koala or numbat. That way you are talking about Australian animals to the Australian Prime Minister. As far as most Australians are concerned, tigers are in another part of the world and they can deal with them over there. But koalas and numbats are here in our own backyard and after the 2019/2020 bushfires that killed so many koalas, they are definitely in need of help. Plus everyone knows what a koala looks like, oh they are cute, except the males during breeding season, they aren't cute.

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Get rid of humans. The only way we can save wetlands around Perth and the south-west is to make natural corridors of untouched bushland and let the animals have it. My idea was to buy up the land running along side the rivers and rehabilitate it so the birds and animals have access to water and native plants for food. But getting the government to buy up land just to rehabilitate for the birds and animals is probably not going to happen.

---------------------

To do a native garden all you need is lots of plants and no chemicals. I had all sorts of plants at my old house including fruit trees and fruiting plants, roses, hippeastrums and various natives like banksias, wattles, kangaroo paws and a few other bits n pieces. I didn't use any chemicals to control insects or weeds, however I did use chemical fertilsiers. The fertilisers encouraged plant growth and didn't affect earthworms, insects or birds.

At one stage I had about 4 or 5 species of native bee living in the backyard, numerous honey eaters that came by each day for food, willy wagtails, magpies and even crows. We also had 28 parrots coming in and destroying the pecans and pomegranates. And one of dogs used to steal the red strawberries before we could pick them.

The main thing about native gardens is minimising chemicals and maximising the variety of plants so you have flowers all year round. They don't necessarily have to be native flowers, although they are preferred. You can definitely mix them up and have native and non-native plants and still get lots of wildlife.

Good morning Colin. My dad does that with his garden. Mixing non native and native plants, but doesn't attract much wildlife.

I was checking how many salamanderfish are in captivity now but you didn't answer it. You did answer the letter part.

The letter is doing well. I have to write a lot of sentences over the course of days.

Is it okay if I discuss about the bad situation you have, with caution? I am very cautious when discussing certain subjects. I understand that you lost everything, including rare plants and your fish, and it's very sad to see everything gone in a bang of a judicial hammer. Were you keeping the plants and fish during the time? How many tanks did you keep before it happened? What fish did you keep during that time? Did you keep any heirlooms during the time? I was checking because I don't remember what happened in the year 2016 other than me going to primary school as a Year 4 student.

 

[elephantnose3334]

It's Thursday. Fed the tetras and continuing writing a letter to the PM (Albanese). The reason why I'm writing a letter to him is because there is a lack of action regarding our natural environment in my state government and the federal government. Schools convention's coming in less than a week, but I can't come because I'm not an ATAR student. My brother has been picked by the school to come to Canberra and he'll have to be my carrier pigeon for my letter.

 

[elephantnose3334]

What's fishing and does BCF sell fishing stuff? Any tips how to go fishing in freshwater environments?

 

[Rocky998]

What's fishing and does BCF sell fishing stuff? Any tips how to go fishing in freshwater environments?

What are you fishing for?

 

[elephantnose3334]

What are you fishing for?

Probably some perch and trout.

 

[Colin_T]

I have no idea how many salamanderfish are currently in captivity, presumably none unless someone has gone south to get some.

In 2016 before I ended up on the street, I had over a thousand plants of various types, none were heirloom varieties. I had 6 marine tanks with anemones and a pr of Amphiprion perideraion, a few corallimorphs, a pr of Lysmata amboinensis (red line cleaner shrimp that I was breeding).

BCF (Boating Camping & Fishing store) does sell fishing gear but so does Kmart and BigW. The only perch you find around the south-west are pygmy perch and they are too small to take a hook. Trout are difficult to catch and generally you require a fly rod and reel set up. Trout aren't that nice to eat either unless you add a heap of herbs, spices and butter, then you taste those rather than the fish.

There's plenty of videos on YouTube about fishing (including trout fishing). You should be able to see what it's like. I wouldn't advice buying a fly rod and reel set because trout are down south in various waterways but you have to look for them and without a car and driver's license, you aren't going to see any in the near future.

 

[elephantnose3334]

I have no idea how many salamanderfish are currently in captivity, presumably none unless someone has gone south to get some.

In 2016 before I ended up on the street, I had over a thousand plants of various types, none were heirloom varieties. I had 6 marine tanks with anemones and a pr of Amphiprion perideraion, a few corallimorphs, a pr of Lysmata amboinensis (red line cleaner shrimp that I was breeding).

BCF (Boating Camping & Fishing store) does sell fishing gear but so does Kmart and BigW. The only perch you find around the south-west are pygmy perch and they are too small to take a hook. Trout are difficult to catch and generally you require a fly rod and reel set up. Trout aren't that nice to eat either unless you add a heap of herbs, spices and butter, then you taste those rather than the fish.

There are redfin perch in the Swan River however. They are a serious pest in my state. Like actual heirlooms i.e. fish books and Christmas trees, not heirloom plants though. Have you gone fishing before Colin?

 

[Colin_T]

I have never seen a red fin perch in the Swan or Canning rivers and I used to go fishing with my dad all the time. We had a 14 foot boat and used to go fishing in the Swan and lower reaches of the canning rivers, as well as off the coast of Fremantle. The family also had a beach house at Guilderton (100km north of Perth) and we would take the boat up there several times a year and fish in the Moore River. My fishing gear stolen from my car in 2016, a couple of weeks after I ended up on the street. I had most of that gear since I was a kid and a lot of it was a present from my dad when I turned 7. Needless to say I am a bit annoyed about it.

As for actual heirlooms (not heirloom plants ), the main thing was the family bible and a fish book from the early 1920s. I lost a collection of Australian decimal coins and notes (including the 1966 round 50 cent pieces that were made from silver), along with money from other countries, although most of it wasn't heirloom. One of the round 50 cent coins was a gift from my grandmother. I lost heaps of stamps, some of which dated back to the 1930s. There may have been others that were older but I never got around to looking at them all, too many stamps. The Christmas tree wasn't an heirloom as such but it was made in the 1970s and was a gift from my grandmother after she died. I had some cutlery and crockery from her too that I inherited but lost in 2016.

 

[elephantnose3334]

I have never seen a red fin perch in the Swan or Canning rivers and I used to go fishing with my dad all the time. We had a 14 foot boat and used to go fishing in the Swan and lower reaches of the canning rivers, as well as off the coast of Fremantle. The family also had a beach house at Guilderton (100km north of Perth) and we would take the boat up there several times a year and fish in the Moore River. My fishing gear stolen from my car in 2016, a couple of weeks after I ended up on the street. I had most of that gear since I was a kid and a lot of it was a present from my dad when I turned 7. Needless to say I am a bit annoyed about it.

As for actual heirlooms (not heirloom plants ), the main thing was the family bible and a fish book from the early 1920s. I lost a collection of Australian decimal coins and notes (including the 1966 round 50 cent pieces that were made from silver), along with money from other countries, although most of it wasn't heirloom. One of the round 50 cent coins was a gift from my grandmother. I lost heaps of stamps, some of which dated back to the 1930s. There may have been others that were older but I never got around to looking at them all, too many stamps. The Christmas tree wasn't an heirloom as such but it was made in the 1970s and was a gift from my grandmother after she died. I had some cutlery and crockery from her too that I inherited but lost in 2016.

On coins and decimal notes, how many did you collect? How many 1966 silver 50 cent pieces are there in Australia? When you were a kid, did you like going fishing with dad? What was the best fish you ever caught?